


Pocketful of Ed

by Dustbunny3



Category: Ed Edd n Eddy
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Baked Goods, Child Abuse, Drabble Collection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, High School, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nosebleed, Panic Attacks, Personal Growth, Post-Series, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Series, Referenced Bullying, Shopping, Tickle Fights, casual homophobia, jawbreakers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-07-11 09:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 8,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7042423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dustbunny3/pseuds/Dustbunny3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles and ficlets mostly written for requests on my Eddy-centric Tumblr. Marked as complete because everything stands alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt for this one boiled down to Edd comforting Eddy after he's had a post-BPS nightmare about Edd leaving.

Eddward wakes, bad memories echoing in his ears, and strains for the reassuring sounds of his friends. But while Ed snuffles contentedly, the crying wasn't his imagination.

"Eddy?" he whispers, rolling over. He sits up, squinting in the dark to see Eddy twisting in the throes of a nightmare, and catches Eddy by the shoulder.

Eddy gasps like he's drowning, fisting Edd's shirt before his eyes open. He chokes, "Don't go."

For a moment, there's only harsh breathing and Ed's murmuring. Then Eddy sobs, inhales, breathes out again, "Don't go."

Eddward holds him close and promises, "I'm not going anywhere."


	2. Eds h/c, Edd with a nosebleed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for one of the Eds with a nosebleed and the others comforting him. I didn't feel like hurting Eddy, then didn't feel like hurting Ed, so Edd it was.

Eddy shouts, "Duck!" but it's too late.

Eddward bends double, clutching his face. Above him, Ed babbles, "That's something I'd expect from me but it's definitely not something I wanted to do!"

"Me neither!" Eddy protests, at Eddward's side and tugging his hands. "Come on, let me see– yikes."

"Oh, no!" Ed sounds near tears. "We will have to operate!"

"Ed, shut up."

Eddy leans Eddward forward, presses a handkerchief to his face and pinches his nose. Ed wraps around him from behind, sniffling into his hat. On the bright side, this is the worst off they've been all day.


	3. Closeted Eddy, ambiguous EddEddy ft Kevin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for closeted Eddy who's afraid to come out.

"Get a room."

It's a joke. Kevin is already walking off as he says it. Eddy still freezes, stops breathing, looks at everything but Double Dee wrapped in his arm. Then, because it's a joke, he laughs. He laughs too loud and too long; Kevin throws a weird look over his shoulder and Eddy slaps Double Dee so hard on the back that he stumbles and falls.

"Get a room," Eddy repeats like it's the funniest thing he's ever heard. He starts to offer Double Dee a hand, then stuffs both hands in his pockets instead. "Man, what a holler."


	4. Kevin loses a quarter, Eddy picks it up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt here was Eddy seeing someone drop a quarter and having to decide whether to give it back or keep it.

Eddy pounces the quarter in the same second he hears it hit the pavement, catching it on its second bounce and grinning.

The next sounds he's aware of are footsteps and music, moving away from him. Looking up, he notices Kevin swaggering off, a boombox on his shoulder. Loose change rattles around whatever other junk is in Kevin's pockets and it occurs to Eddy then that the quarter didn't fall from the sky.

He thinks of a lot of things at once– mostly laughter, mockery, insults; a chorus of cruelty. He remembers headlocks and black eyes, rejection and being afraid. He remembers, _Lay off him, man_ , a slap on the back and a handshake, congratulations that don't make sense.

"Yo, Kev," he calls, flipping the quarter with a smirk when Kevin glances back. "You drop something?"

Kevin blinks, looks from the quarter to his own pockets. There's something cold behind his eyes when he looks back up and Eddy falters, almost fumbles the catch. Then the cold is melted by a blush; Kevin grins crooked, turns away again with a wave and a, "Keep it, dude."

It sounds almost unreal in his ears– but it's not like he's about to argue.


	5. EddEddy, yearbook signing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for a yearbook signing where Eddy wants to confess his feelings to Edd through what he writes.

There are only so many times Eddy can go back and write more snarky comments in Kevin's yearbook in response to Kevin's snarky comments in Eddy's yearbook before Nazz confiscates Kevin's book and pen– figures she'd leave Kevin with the last word.

"Yes, well," Double Dee says as Nazz drags Kevin off, at least giving him an earful, "if you and Kevin are quite through antagonizing each other…"

Eddy scowls at Kevin's final comment, pretending to pay more attention to it than the yearbook now held out to him for signing.

"Oh, Double Dee!" Ed bounces up, all grin. "Wanna see what Eddy wrote in mine? Can I see yours?"

"Naturally, Ed, just as soon as I have something to show…" He sounds hurt now, not just annoyed, and that's what makes Eddy finally snap his book shut.

"Alright already," he says. "I was just trying to think what to write, jeeze."

He's been trying to think what to write– what to _say_ – for longer than he wants to think about. He accepts Double Dee's book, his hand shaking only a little, finds a spot as blank as his mind. He takes a breath, puts pen to paper and just writes.


	6. Ambiguous EddEddy, emotional h/c

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one boiled down to Edd finding Eddy crying post-BPS and Eddy not being able to explain himself but appreciating that Edd's there.

It's about when Eddy thinks he should go back before someone comes looking for him that he hears the footsteps. He'd freeze where he sits, but the idea that _someone might come look for him_ punches him in the lungs and then he's too busy trying to breathe.

"Eddy?" Double Dee is suddenly there, hands on Eddy's shoulders, brow crinkled. "What is it?"

All that comes out when Eddy opens his mouth is more sobbing. Double Dee pulls him close, cradles Eddy's head and rubs his back, making soothing sounds and asking if something happened at the party. Eddy clutches at him, face hot from crying and from trying to explain that he's _having a good time_ and it's _weird_.

Double Dee sits down beside him, right there on the grass, never once breaking the hug. Eddy gulps down big breaths, like he can inhale Double Dee's comfort. And this is better, actually, here away from the sounds of kids having fun; it's familiar and makes everything feel more real. Ed is missing, so it's not quite a perfect picture, but Eddy think as he leans into Double Dee's shoulder that the two of them make a pretty good picture themselves.


	7. Bro and Eddy, abuse and manipulation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for angst involving Bro and Eddy.

"Uncle!"

"Sorry, squirt, what was that?"

"I s-said– ow! Uncle!"

"Ohhh, why didn't you just say so?"

Just like that, his big brother's hand is off him and Eddy slumps down the wall. He can still feel fingers locked tight around his wrists, and where his brother's ring dug into his knuckle. His shoulders are sore from stretching so far, but at least they didn't come off like his brother said they could. His brother is still standing over him, so Eddy tries to hide his crying against the wall.

His brother laughs, kind of quiet, and Eddy hears him move. One big arm snags him around his middle and pulls him away from the wall and up. Without even thinking, he squeaks, "Uncle!"

That makes his brother really laugh, head thrown back and his whole body shaking. He slaps his knee with the hand that isn't holding Eddy to his chest. It isn't his "play uncle" laugh, though. It's big and friendly and Eddy dares to giggle along through his sniffles.

"Mhm, there we go," his brother says, using his shirt to scrub the tears and snot from Eddy's face. He looks at the wet spot for a few seconds and Eddy freezes up, but then his brother shrugs and drops it. When he pokes Eddy's cheek, it's gentle. "Come on now, I'm not raising any brother of mine to be a sore loser, right?"

"Right, Bro," Eddy says; he ducks his face into his brother's shoulder, shy with embarrassment. His brother bounces him a couple times and Eddy cuddles close.

His mommy comes home soon after that, takes him from his brother and asks if he had a nice afternoon. His arms still hurt, but he smiles up at her and says, "Uh huh. Me and Bro played games!"


	8. EddEddy ft Ed, BPS POV scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for a POV moment during BPS, from Eddy staring at the sky after the door has stopped up to the bit with Edd telling him he's learned.

His brother had always been tough on him, rough with him, but that's how big brothers were, so his own big brother had taught him. His big brother had taught him a lot, everything he felt Eddy needed to know– it was how he showed he cared, so he'd always said. And if he cared– and of course he cared, he was his brother– then of course he would protect him when he needed it. So, Eddy had shoved the memories of his brother's life lessons into a dark corner in his mind, hidden in the shadows of his faith that his brother would take care of him as he'd always done.

Laying on the ground, cover in new bruises, Eddy doesn't feel very cared for.

"Eddy, speak to me!" he hears, followed by two sets of footsteps coming at him rapid fire. His friends– everything hurts worse knowing they saw. He can't bear looking at them, instead staring at the sky and wishing it would go dark. He lets himself bask in three seconds of Double Dee's hands on him, so gentle, before he pushes him away and the truth comes pouring out.

"When am I gonna learn, Double Dee?" he asks in the end, covering his face so they won't see him cry and so he can keep himself from seeing what they must think of him now.

He's surprised to feel Double Dee's hands on him again, still so gentle as he pulls Eddy's hands from his face and looks him right in the eye. His smile is warm when he says, "I think you just have, Eddy."

Curling his fingers over Double Dee's thumbs, Eddy finds it in him to smile back, heart fluttering in his chest. He feels like he's learned a lot just now, actually.


	9. EddEddy h/c, nosebleed and panic attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for EddEddy with one of them suffering a nosebleed. My mind supplied the panic attack unprompted.

“Having difficulties, Eddy?” Double Dee doesn’t look up from preparing Ed’s birthday dinner, but still talks like he can see the mess that Eddy forgot he left the cabinet in this morning.

“Doin’ fine, thanks,” Eddy says, shifting to block the view as he searches.

“I suppose you’ll soon be bringing me the skillet I requested then?”

Finally spotting the skillet in question, Eddy grins. He grabs the handle and tugs hard to free it as he declares, “I got your–”

The skillet is not as trapped as it looks. Eddy’s face learns this the hard way.

Double Dee shouts, “Eddy!” and there’s a flurry of movement as he scrambles for a clean rag and rushes over.

Eddy hardly notices, distracted by the blood splattered on the floor. He knows this floor. They spent a week of headaches laying this floor. This is his kitchen, his home, a safe place, but  _there’s blood on the floor_ –

His head spins, his ears ring and he coughs out more blood when he chokes, “D-Double Dee–”

“Eddy?” Double Dee’s voice comes from far away even though he’s right there, craning his neck to look at his face as he pinches the rag over Eddy’s nose and leans him forward. He sucks in a breath through his teeth and hugs Eddy tight, saying, “It’s okay, Eddy, breathe just like we practiced–”

Double Dee counts off the cadence, rubbing his back in time. Eddy forces himself to obey, fingers twisting in Double Dee’s shirt like it’s the only thing keeping him on solid ground. The ground doesn’t feel very solid, though, trembling under his knees. He clings harder, closer, because at least Double Dee is solid and sure beside him.

“I’m here,” Double Dee soothes into Eddy’s ear. “I have you.”

Eddy tells himself that’s enough.


	10. Ensemble, birthday present faux pas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for someone giving Eddy a jawbreaker as a birthday present. So, I thought to myself, why not everyone?

It’s good to know exactly what to get someone and where to get it from– especially if it’s free. Such are Kevin’s thoughts as he snags a jawbreaker from his garage and heads to Eddy’s, spinning it on his fingertips and whistling.

“Hey, Kevin!” Nazz greets from behind as he’s letting himself into the backyard. “Whatcha got there?”

“Birthday present,” he says, holding it up for inspection. “What else?”

She frowns at the jawbreaker– is she going to get onto him about not wrapping it? Her own gift is snug under her arm, done up in pretty paper and a big bow. Her own very round gift…

“Aw, man, tell me you didn’t,” he groans.

“I hate to say it, dude,” Nazz says with a giggle, “but I think one of us is gonna have to change.” Less giggly, she adds, “And I actually paid for mine, so…”

“Come on–”

“Oh, jeeze.”

Nazz and Kevin turn to see Sarah and Jimmy approaching, both looking unamused and hauling a jumbo-sized jawbreaker between them. Nazz gasps and Kevin slaps his free hand to his forehead. They all stand there, staring at each other. Then–

“Have fun following this act, suckers,” Jimmy declares as he and Sarah to rush past into the yard.

Nazz and Kevin squawk and scramble to follow, elbows jostling. They run right into Sarah and Jimmy, who’ve stopped dead just inside. Their attention is on the deck, where Double Dee is trying to keep the rest of Eddy’s gifts from rolling off the table.

Eddy himself waves and bounds over to the new arrivals, all of them cringing. Everyone gathered is looking pretty sheepish, Kevin sees as he avoids eye contact.

“Hey, gang, no worries,” Eddy assures them with a grin, eyeing his spoils. “My feelings ain’t hurt at all.”


	11. [Ed]EddEddy, panic attack comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for EddEddy with Eddy having a panic attack and Edd helping him. Ed I added for my own preference. Can be read as gen, EddEddy or EdEddEddy.

Later, Eddy will joke about this; it's one of the ways he's learned to cope. He'll dig his elbow into Double Dee's side, wibble his lower lip and simper about how Double Dee _lied_ to him- a little bit of tidying up _can_ hurt you.

That will be later. Right now, Eddy is _hurting_. His breath is heavy in his chest, where he's held it too long. He feels like someone is turning a crank at the base of his spine, drawing every line of his body too tight, curling his fingers into his palms and digging his teeth into his bottom lip. There's a voice way at the back of his mind; it's his shrink, telling him how to deal with these feelings, but his brain is screaming between his ears and the noise is drowning her out.

"Eddy?" Double Dee's voice is fuzzy and far away, but at least Eddy can hear him. He drags his eyes away from the pile of mail he threw to the floor just as Double Dee rounds the corner, looking for him. "Ed and I have dinner set out, are you- is something wrong?"

The sound that Eddy makes isn't an answer as such, but he manages to look back at the mail, jerk a hand gesture toward it. Later, he'll make a joke about the credit card bill. Right now, all he can see is the postcard, garish and scrawled over with handwriting still familiar after years. Double Dee sucks in a breath and Eddy knows he's spotted it too.

Double Dee's slipper-clad feet come into Eddy's line of sight very suddenly, tromping over the mail and then outright kicking it into the corner. Eddy jerks his head up, swims through his watery vision to look into Double Dee's eyes, warm with concern. The sight makes him cough, hard, but at least he's breathing again.

"That's it, Eddy," Double Dee soothes, running his hands up and down Eddy's arms. "Breathe, just like we learned. I'll keep count, okay?"

He does, Eddy letting himself relax into the familiar cadence in that trusted voice. He doesn't know when Ed comes looking for them, but when he does, he's a solid presence at Eddy's back, a comforting murmur in his ear. They all three sink to the floor, Eddy wrapped between the people he loves most, the rest of the world held at bay.


	12. EddySarah, she's all grown up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was for EddySarah where Eddy notices she's all grown up. Fun to get a chance to write this ship!

Eddy would say he's not sure how he got roped into this, but he'd be lying. He got roped into this because Ed had made that ridiculous wibbly face that shouldn't work for a guy his age but always does. Ed had gotten on his knees and pulled that face and whimpered, "Please," and Eddy had caved like a house of cards in a hurricane. Ed had then rubbed salt into the wound by swinging him around in a hug and smiling like the friggin' sun, so Eddy couldn't even have the satisfaction of being upset with him.

That was fine, though. He may not be able to be upset with Ed, or even Double Dee- who'd had the nerve to have a valid excuse to deny The Face- and he may have spent too long being upset with himself to want to bother now, but he still has Sarah and he can be plenty upset with her.

"Are you even paying attention?"

Yeah, he can be plenty upset with her. Driving Sarah to the mall for a flash sale so Ed wouldn't miss the start of his movie marathon, Eddy had agreed to. Playing fashion yes-man to Sarah, not so much.

Still, the faster she picks her clothes, the faster they can leave. Heaving a sigh, Eddy looks Sarah's way to fake a compliment about whatever she has on. In the next instant, he's on his feet, the jacket he'd tossed over his arm barricading Sarah from the view of the rest of the boutique.

"What are you _doing_?" she demands, shoving at his hands.

"What are you _wearing_?" he demands right back, voice pitched puberty high. "And where the heck's the rest of it?"

She makes an outraged noise and kicks him in the shin. "It's a crop top and shorts, you weirdo," she growls, flouncing back into the fitting room, swaying hips he doesn't remember her having, and slamming the door.

Eddy slumps back down onto the bench, head reeling as the world shifts around him. "Oh, boy," he mutters, scrubbing a hand over his head like it'll scrub away the memory of Sarah's legs stretching out of those shorts like ten years of dance classes. His mind turns to the heap of swimsuits she'd picked out to try on and only sheer force of will keeps him from crying. " _Ohhh_ , boy."


	13. Eds, 5th of July fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just realized I forgot to crosspost a few ficlets, whoops. Prompt for this one was for Eds and Fourth of July fireworks, but it was a day late, so.

"Ohohoh!" Ed shouted from the other room, followed closely by the sound of his habitual galloping run. Eddy had time to exchange a glance with Double Dee before Ed burst into the kitchen, a smile on top of a tap-dance of excitement. "Guys, guys– I heard fireworks!"

Double Dee threw up his hands, suds from the sink of dishes he was working on raining down around him. He didn't even react to the shower, just said, "For goodness' sake! You'd think they'd have run out by now, but _nooo_ – wait."

"Waiting," Eddy said, swallowing snickers, elbow on the table and one eyebrow raised as Double Dee stood glaring into empty space.

"It's four in the afternoon," Double Dee said, mostly to himself. He rushed to the window and threw open the curtains. Gesturing wildly as he turned wide eyes on the others, he exclaimed, "It's _sunny_!"

"Guuuys," Ed whined. His dance became less excited and more jittery. "It's _fireworks_. Can we go watch them, please? I love fireworks!"

"We know, lumpy, you reminded us when we watched them last night," Eddy said, turning his attention back to the sandwiches he was making. "Y'know, on the actual holiday."

"Ridiculous," Double Dee groused, arms crossed as he shook his head at the world outside their window. "I'm as patriotic as the next person, but this is ridiculous."

"So, what else is new?" Eddy asked. "You complain about this every year. Because it _happens_ every year."

"Yes, yes, and every year–"

Double Dee stopped short, eyes falling closed. One hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again, the look he passed from Eddy's grin to Ed's pout was resigned.

Grinning, Eddy prompted, "If we drive far enough–"

"We'll find the best viewing spot by the time it's dark enough to see them," Double Dee finished on a sigh.

Ed cheered and swept Double Dee off his feet to gather him into a group hug with Eddy. He was babbling a mile a minute when he let them both go to charge off to get ready.

"The sandwiches should have tipped me off, if nothing else," Double Dee muttered, trudging back to the sink to finish the dishes before they left.

Eddy went on with his own work, still grinning. He didn't give much of a fuss about fireworks, but not much beat a road trip.


	14. Eds ft minor EddEddy, time capsule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one was for the Eds digging up their "The Good Ol' Ed" time capsule. Mostly gen with a dash of EddEddy, could read as EdEddEddy if you like.

Double Dee knelt on a handkerchief on his old back lawn, holding a spade at arm's length toward the ground and squinting past it as Ed and Eddy watched over either of his shoulders. At last, he brought the tip of the spade to the ground, tracing an outline through the grass.

"Give me a break!" Eddy said, anticipation only just audible over his impatience as he threw his hands up. "We ain't got all day, you know."

"Eddy, please–"

"I'll dig the hole!" Ed declared. He dove right over Double Dee with a shout of unbridled glee and dug his fingers into the soft dirt. As quickly as he was digging, he was chattering about all the memories they were set to unearth.

"Atta boy, Ed!" Eddy cheered, hands on Double Dee's shoulders as he leaned forward to watch Ed work. He snickered when he felt Double Dee's shoulders heave in a sigh, bending at to wrap his arms around him and tease against his ear, "Don't worry, sockhead, you can show off your eye for detail to me later."

"I was not– good _Lord_ ," Double Dee cut himself off, dragging his shirt over his nose.

"Yeesh," Eddy said, straightening and following his lead. He squinted at Ed, who hadn't broken stride despite the foul odor coming from the hole. "You sure this is where the case is buried and not the skeptic tank?"

"Septic tank, Eddy. And my parents do not have a septic system. I can't imagine what–"

"I found it!" Ed cheered, popping up with the case held high and turning to grin at his friends. He took a deep whiff of the case and sighed, tears in the corners of his eyes, "Ah, the smell of childhood memories…"

Before either of them could suggest better of it, Ed popped open the case and laid it out flat. Eddy and Double Dee recoiled, gagging; as one, they each grabbed Ed by an arm and dragged him into the house over his protests.

" _Who_ put the _fish_ in there?" Eddy demanded when they made it inside. " _Ed_?"

"Not I, Eddy," Ed said, nose in the air. Then he added, drooping, "If I'd thought of it–"

"It certainly wasn't me," Double Dee put in, raising a considering eyebrow at Eddy.

"Hey, don't give me that look, I know _I_ didn't do it" Eddy protested. "I'd _definitely_ remember that."


	15. EddEddy ft Ed, first kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one was for Edd and Eddy's first kiss (not counting the forced one from "Your Ed Here"). Based off my personal favorite idea that it would be something they both do without thinking about it and featuring Ed as a shipper on deck.

Eddy and Double Dee rushed down the hallway to their adjacent lockers back-to-back, necks craning every which way and eyes peeled. Once they'd made it, both of them pounced on their locks.

"I hate to avoid him," Double Dee said in a fretful murmur, still looking around as he effortlessly spun in his combination. "I just don't know what's gotten _into_ him–"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Eddy, struggling with his own lock. He'd just sucked in a breath to scream when Double Dee, already finished up, reached to open it for him. "Until we can get whatever's into him _out_ –"

He cut himself off with sharp inhale, this one held. Double Dee froze, tipping his head to listen for the low chuckle that had caught both of their attention. Neither heard it again and a look around revealed nothing; they shared a glance and shrugged. Their shoulders hadn't come down yet when Double Dee felt a sharp impact at the base of his neck, startling him forward– right into Eddy's arms.

Breath was sucked fast between teeth as they stared directly into each other's eyes. It was let out in unison, both of them turning to shout, "Ed!"

Leaning around a corner with a straw clearly in hand, Ed dropped his goofy grin and contrived to look innocent, pointing at himself as though maybe they were angry at another Ed.

"I've had just about enough of this tomfoolery, mister," Double Dee snapped, straightening up and side-stepping quickly out of Eddy's personal space. He brushed at invisible lint on his sweater to hide the inexplicable shaking of his hands.

"Seriously, Ed, what gives?" Eddy demanded.

"I cannot imagine what you might mean," Ed claimed, all puppy eyes.

The warning bell rang before either of them could argue. Shooting Ed a dirty look, Eddy scooped Double Dee's forgotten books from the floor to hand back. Double Dee smiled and thanked him as he reached to fix Eddy's hair, mussed from their collision. They both leaned in for a quick peck on the lips before turning to go their separate ways.

It wasn't until they heard Ed's squealing that they realized what they'd done. Jaws dropped, they spun to stare at each other with wide eyes. Their bodies both were overcome by heat as everything they thought they knew went up in flames. In the background, Ed danced gleefully in the ashes.


	16. Eds, Eddy's personal progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one was Eddy reflecting on his personal progress, though I wrote more to the spirit than the word.

Eddward nearly dropped his bags when he walked into the kitchen, staring with wide eyes at the scene before him. The trays of brownies and cookies he'd left were no longer carefully arranged by flavor but by… he wasn't sure. Eddy was still at whatever new system he'd invented in Double Dee's fifteen-minute absence, grinning ear-to-ear as he examined baked good after baked good and discarded them into whatever pile he'd decided they belonged in.

It said something to the surreality of the situation that Eddward turned to Ed, who was sitting at the table, splattered in paint and munching on a brownie. There was a haphazard pile of goodies in front of him, going to show that despite the chaos of the rest of the surfaces in the room, Eddy was taking care with most of the food. Catching his look, Ed shrugged and declared around his snack, "He was like this when I walked in, Double Dee. Like a man possessed."

For his own part, Eddy ignored them, swooping like a bird of prey upon the last tray yet untouched. That kicked Eddward into gear and he stepped further into the room, hiking up his bags for lack of anywhere to set them down, and demanded, "Eddy, what on–"

"Quality control, Double Dee," Eddy cut in, turning that grin upon Eddward; he sounded almost giddy.

Brow furrowed, Eddward said, "I don't understand, Eddy."

"I dropped a cookie I was working on," Eddy said, tongue darting across his lips like he was tasting the words. "On the floor. And it didn't look bad– landed with the frosting side up, can you believe it?– but I thought– ' _I can't offer this to customers_.'"

Eddward waited but Eddy didn't go on, just looked at him expectantly. There was something there in those words that Eddy wanted him to hear, something Eddy couldn't quite say. Even as far as he'd come, it was still hard for Eddy to say things. Still, it was there, ringing in Eddward's ears as if from far away. If he could only–

"Aww," Ed piped up. Eddward glanced his way to see him giving Eddy the sort of look he usually reserved for small animals. "Our little man's growing up."

"Who asked you," Eddy snapped– tried to snap. He was still grinning too hard, even as he crossed his arms and ducked his head. He looked from under his eyelashes back at Eddward and, yes, Edward got it now.

Not bothering to fight a smile of his own, Eddward shifted the bags again and asked, "So, the cookie you dropped?"

"Fed it to Ed with the rest of the rejects," Eddy said, grin twitching impossibly wider. Without prompting, he added, "I warned him."

Ed flashed an okay sign, mouth now full of cookie.

"And the rest of these piles?"

Eddy walked him through– the perfects, the almost-perfects, the do-overs and, seemingly his favorite, as he pointed it out with something like awe shining in his eyes, "the discount pile!"


	17. EddyNazz, high school fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one was EddyNazz high school fluff. The two of them discussing now more honest "scams" in particular was suggested.

Nazz is three steps out of her classroom, chatting with a group of girls from the cheer squad over the echoes of the last bell, when color flashes by. It twists and somersaults and resolves itself into Eddy, striking a pose as he skids to a stop and points at her group with grin just the right side of smarmy.

" _Ladies_ ," he greets, all smug confidence.

As her friends burst into a round of giggles and cooed greetings in return, Nazz rolls her eyes and bites down on a grin of her own as she steps forward to wrap her arms around his neck, fluttering her eyelashes over her shoulder when his arms circle her waist in turn. There's some playful sighing and pouting, then the girls say their goodbyes, sparing a few flirty words for Eddy. He soaks up the attention like a sponge and answers in turn, striking a few more poses. Once they're gone, Eddy shrugs at Nazz in a "what can you do?" sort of way, earning another eye roll.

"Okay, Eddy," she says, trying to sound exasperated and only sounding affectionate, "what is it?"

"What's what?" he asks, eyes darted around the hall before coming back to her, wide with fake innocence.

Nazz crosses her arms and waits.

"What are you suggesting?" he demands, one hand to his chest as though scandalized. "That I'm _up_ to something?"

Nazz quirks an eyebrow and keeps waiting.

"Wow," he says, throwing his arms up with a huff. When that doesn't get him anything but her other eyebrow going up, he turns and flounces off a couple steps, calling over his shoulder, "Can't a guy just wanna walk his– his girlfriend to her locker?"

Endeared, Nazz drops her arms and steps toward him. He still gets nervous about their official status sometimes, still sounds like he's expecting to be corrected when he mentions it. Nazz can't hold back the rush of protective affection she feels, not that she tries. She hugs him hard from behind and plants a kiss on his reddening cheek. Into his ear, she says, "I'm sorry, Eddy. It's good to see you."

He preens immediately at the words, sweeping aside his obvious awe too slow to hide it, and she leans into him harder, pulls him closer, resting her head on his shoulder. She lets him revel in his personal victory for a moment before saying, "Now, seriously, what are you up to?"

"Ugh, fine!" he exclaims, throwing his hands in the air again and wiggling out of her embrace. He doesn't go far, one arm falling across her shoulders. He's all grins again in seconds, pulling her close as he declares, "So, I've been thinking–"

"Oh, no," she groans in mock despair.

"Hey, I have it on good authority that I need to do that more. Anyway–"

They walk as he talks, illustrating his latest scheme in bright, bold words. Nazz cuddles close to his side, arm around his waist, happy just to listen for now.


	18. Eds, first panic attack comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one was Edd helping Eddy through his first panic attack, though I ended up doing Eddy's first Eds-witnessed panic attack instead.

There's this thing that happens sometimes now. Eddy can't explain it and doesn't want it explained to him. He's had his share of unpleasant realizations about his life as it is. He's also had his share of things actually going pretty well pretty often lately; he'd rather have more of that. More good things, more things going well. He doesn't want to hear about something else that's wrong with him.

He's been pretty lucky, as far as that goes. So far, the whatever has only happened while he's alone and he can deal with it himself. That's why he doesn't understand at first why Ed and Double Dee are looking at him with confusion and fear. He doesn't know why it's happening now– later, Double Dee will help him figure it out. Right now, he doesn't really _care_ why it's happening, he just that the others are seeing it happen.

"I'm okay," he gasps, grabbing at his pillow. If this has to happen, he's glad it's in his room. "I just n-need to–"

"Eddy, what are you doing?" Double Dee squeaks like the same thing is happening to him as Eddy presses the pillow over his face.

"It's okay," Eddy mutters around it, between breaths. "This helps, it helps–"

There's extra pressure against his face, suddenly. Ed, trying to help, is pressing the pillow more firmly against him. Eddy can hear Double Dee freaking out and he sort of wants to freak out too. He'd found out before, alone, that the pillow keeps him from breathing in too much without suffocating him. It's not suffocating him now, but it _feels_ like being suffocated with someone else's hands pressing against him. Especially with his eyes hidden, when the person on the other side could be anyone–

"E _nough_!" Double Dee wrestles the pillow out of both their clutches and throws it away over his shoulder. "Eddy, you can't just– just– You need to _breathe_."

He _is_ breathing, he's just doing it too hard and too fast. How can Double Dee not understand that? Eddy opens his mouth to explain but his usual defense mechanism lying slumped against the wall, in sight but out of reach, makes him stutter and choke.

"Eddy," Double Dee take him by the shoulders and blocks the view with his own concerned face. Ed hovers at his side, whimpering. "Listen, I'm going to count. You need to breathe in through your nose, then hold, then breathe out through your mouth. Follow my lead. We're here, Eddy. You're going to be okay. I'm going to start counting now, follow me."

Double Dee counts, shaking just a little, and he breathes along with the count like he needs it just as much. That, more than anything, helps Eddy to follow along with the instructions. Ed joins in after a few repeats, too, loud and exaggerated as he clings to Eddy's arm. They all sit there huddled on Eddy's bed, breathing together, and Eddy thinks maybe he could use some explanations after all.


	19. EddEddy ft Ed, first kiss on purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one was Edd and Eddy's first kiss. I decided to continue from the other first kiss I wrote (chapter fifteen) and do their first intentional kiss.

The tension between Eddy and Double Dee was thick. Ed, also between them, was just as thick. While the two of them dragged their feet through uncertainty, Ed bounced along, looking from one to the other of them as he giggled against his lower lip caught in his teeth.

Eddy glanced around Ed just in time to see Double Dee look away. Again. They'd only left school five minutes ago, meeting up as usual to walk home together as though it was any other day as if that would _make_ it like any other day, and already Eddy had caught Double Dee looking away a dozen times. This time, he had enough.

A couple rushed steps got him ahead of the other two and then Eddy spun, finger shooting out in accusation. It landed on the tip of Ed's nose and he declared, "This is _your_ fault!"

Ed blinked, then drew himself up to his full height and put his nose in the air, looking entirely serious as he declared right back, "Not at all, young mister."

"Yes, it is!" Eddy said, arms flailing to keep his hands from around Ed's throat. "You did– _something_!"

Ed seemed to consider this, then had the nerve to chuckle bashfully. He scuffed at the pavement and said, "Well, maybe I helped a little."

"What did you even–"

"Eddy, please," Double Dee said. It was the first thing he'd said since that morning at the lockers, when they'd leaned in and kissed goodbye like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Despite his behavior of late, Ed can hardly be blamed for– for–"

"For _what_?" Eddy asked, demanded, fists clenched at his sides. He needed Double Dee to call it an accident or a mistake or something, anything, that would mean it wasn't that big of a deal. If Eddy heard someone else call it nothing, maybe he could believe it was nothing too.

Because right then, it didn't feel like nothing so much as everything. He could admit– only to himself– that he'd thought about it before. Kissing Double Dee. He'd wondered about what it would be like with both of them willing and wanting. And now it had happened, sort of, and all he could wrap his head around was that it was _right_.

"For–" Double Dee took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and finally looked Eddy full in the face. He said, with perfect clarity and certainty, "For the two of us doing something that I've been wanting to do."

Ed squealed, biting down on his fingers and doing a little jumping jig. Eddy hardly noticed him. He shuffled forward and realized he'd reached out when Double Dee took his hand. He smiled, and Eddy was pretty sure he was smiling back. They leaned in just like they had that morning, only this time they both knew exactly what was coming when their lips pressed together. It was soft, warm, the most natural thing in the world. It was right.


	20. EddEddy, tickle fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this one was for an EddEddy tickle fight.

It started with a massage.

The work day had tried to murder Eddy's feet, but they'd lived to tell the tale. That tale was mostly screaming agony, which Eddy translated into long, whining groans for Double Dee's benefit. After listening to this for ten minutes and finally realizing he wasn't going to be left alone to finish his book, Double Dee had got them settled on his bed, Eddy's feet in his lap, and gone to work.

"Mmyeah, that's the stuff," Eddy said, melting into the pillows as Double Dee soothed his aching feet. "I limped home, y'know."

"I'm sure."

"Hey, I did!" Eddy insisted, batting at one hand with his foot. "An hour on the bus and it's like every part of my feet I didn't even know hurt started hurting– and I knew plenty of parts that hurt already!"

"That's becau–"

"Ehp, ehp, ehp," Eddy cut him off, waving a hand at him. "No– science or whatever. M'not in the mood."

Double Dee rolled his eye, barely hiding a smile, and went on with the massage in silence. Eddy filled that silence with happy little moans– and, when Double Dee's thumb brushed up under Eddy's toes, a short, coughing laugh.

"Oh, sorry, Eddy," Double Dee said, his smile was much more obvious and just a little evil. He squeezed Eddy's feet, a false comfort. "Did that tickle?"

"Yeah, right," Eddy snorted, tugging at his feet; Double Dee held tighter. "I ain't ticklish. But, uh, I do feel better, so–"

"Oh, no, Eddy– I _insist_." Double Dee was nearly giggling, like the soft touches he was scratching across the bottoms of Eddy's feet were tickling _him_.

He asked for it.

Eddy yanked one foot free, pointing it triumphantly into the air. Recovering quickly, Double Dee used both hands to hold Eddy's other foot and began tickling in earnest. Eddy squirmed and snorted laughter– but he had a plan. Aiming around his own flailing foot, he jabbed his toes up under Double Dee's ribs, into his best-known ticklish spot.

Double Dee lost his grip immediately, wrapping his arms around himself in self-defense even as he shook with twittering laughter. Too bad for him, he trapped Eddy's foot up against him. All Eddy had to do to press his assault was wiggle his toes.

Eddy cackled in pure glee– he was winning and he hadn't even had to get up.

"Surrender!" he crowed, wrapping his free leg around Double Dee to keep him from escaping.

But Eddy's demand seemed to give him a second wind. He declared– or more like sputtered– "I've not yet _begun_ to fight!" around his laughter. After taking in a few huge, gasping breaths, he jerked to partially free himself and threw himself half on top of Eddy.

Eddy's protest was lost in laughter as Double Dee used the element of surprise to his advantage, getting one hand under Eddy's shirt to pepper his attacks from belly to armpit and digging the fingers of his other hand into the crook of Eddy's neck. His breath tickled Eddy's ear where he lay across him, but it was hard to say if that was on purpose.

Convulsing, trying to buck him, Eddy gasped, "Okay, wise guy–"

He cut himself off with a yelp as the two of them rolled off the bed and thumped onto the floor. There came the pad of slippered feet on the stairs as Eddy and Double Dee stared at each other, dazed. It was as Double Dee's mother poked her head in to check on them that they burst out laughing all over again.


	21. Eds, waiting for Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to cross-post this before, y'know, Christmas happened, but such is life.

Eddy’s heart beat like a bongo drum, syncing up oddly well with the festive humming that was drifting out of the kitchen. There was a clatter as dishes were rearranged and then the tap seemed to roar to life. Eddy, pressed against the wall just around the corner, shot a look back at Ed. His friend and compatriot was hunched over, biting his fingers up to the knuckle, and watching Eddy closely for directions.

Good. If he followed along, they might just pull this off.

Using the sound of running water as a cover, and relying on Double Dee’s back being turned to the doorway to use the sink, Eddy waved at Ed and crept past on the very tips of his toes in one long, thigh-burning stride. Ed chose to follow by flattening himself against the carpet and scurrying like something out of a nightmare, but the important thing was that he did it quietly. They waited, listening, but when Double Dee turned off the tap, it was to go back to his work. Unseen, Ed and Eddy shared a thumbs up.

Keeping in time with each other, they made their way down the decked hall to the living room, focused on the twinkling string lights at the end of their tunnel vision. All the time, they kept their ears perked; they’d already refused to have any hand in the fruitcake that Double Dee was making, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to call them in to help anyway.

They were at the living room doorway when Eddy’s hands started to sweat. This was it. Double Dee had hidden his gifts like a squirrel hid nuts; Ed and Eddy had been half sure that even he wouldn’t be able to find them again. But, lo, there they had been when they’d dragged themselves home out of the Christmas Eve hustle and bustle, filling in the empty space that had made a mockery of their tree all these weeks as they had always been meant to.

Double Dee had batted their hands away when they’d rushed in for a look and a shake, of course. He’d been unmoved by Ed’s wibbly lip and Eddy’s suggestion that he didn’t care what  _they’d_  gotten  _him_  alike. They had huffed and groaned and only when Double Dee nodded, satisfied with their performance, and turned his back did they share a grin between them.

Back in the present, Eddy checked behind them to make sure the coast was clear and elbowed Ed in the side to quiet the giggling that had bubbled out of him. He glared at the pout he got in return and made a series of complicated gestures. These were to say that they were going to move in on their targets, sitting oh so very unaware, in a series of steps on his mark.

Ed’s eyes followed every movement, face set like stone. Anticipation stirred through him as the gestures came to their end and Eddy figured later that he only had himself to blame for not realizing what was about to happen. In hindsight, he probably should have gone over the signals with Ed instead of making them up on the spot.

And in Ed’s defense, when he burst into motion, he still managed to do so with a silence that really wasn’t to be expected of six-foot-four of gangly bumbler being launched wholesale across a room. If he hadn’t run up against the silver bells dangling from the lowest branches as he tucked himself in to land among the colorfully and carefully wrapped gifts, he might even have gotten away without any sound but displaced air.

 _Wait a minute_ , Eddy found himself thinking as the tinkling of the bells stabbed him in the ears like hooks and twisted,  _is that why he hung those there!?_

“Ed, wait!” Eddy whisper-shouted– shouted more than whispered, since his shot nerves had taken his sense of volume down with them.

“Wait, indeed,” said a terribly unimpressed voice from just behind Eddy.

“Oh, uh,” Eddy stuttered, jumping half into the room in his surprise and turning a grin, weakened by how wide it stretched, around on Double Dee. “Hey! Fancy meeting you here!”

“In my own living room,” said Double Dee, words as flat as the tight line of his mouth. His arms were crossed and his eyebrows were hiding even higher than usual under his hat, though there was an air of triumph to him. “Whatever are the odds.”

“Hey, you’re the math guy,” Eddy shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He turned back in Ed’s direction and contrived to look shocked to see him curled up behind the pile of gifts. He gasped, hands coming to his cheeks. “Ed! What are you doing?”

“Uh…” Ed looked at him like a puppy that had lost its bone. When Eddy only cringed and wiggled his fingers in an attempt to get across  _abort mission!!_  (they really should’ve gone over the signals), he sputtered a few more sounds before dropping his head like a rock on top of the box he had cradled in his arms and pretending to snore.

Double Dee hummed long and low, mouth pulling even tighter.

“Gentlemen,” he said in that disappointed parent voice he had, “need I remind you that Christmas is in a mere three hours and two minutes?”

“You don’t have to remind me, Double Dee!” Ed chirped, perking up right out of his fake slumber and dancing in place. “I’m keeping count!”

“Then surely you understand that you haven’t long yet to wait–”

A chorus of groans interrupted him. Eddy threw his arms in the air, imploring to the brightly shining star that adorned the top of their tree, while Ed flopped back down into the gifts like a sack of laundry which had given up.

“I hate waiting,” Eddy grumbled, his arms falling across his chest. “And it’s gotta be Christmas already somewhere anyhow.”

“Eddy– Ed,” Double Dee implored. “ _Please_. Won’t opening gifts– together– be even better for having waited until morning? Just think of it– sharing breakfast as the light of the first Christmas at our own abode shines in on us through the frosted windows. The three of us gathered around our very own tree, exchanging tokens of our esteem and affection.” He sighed, hands clasped under his chin. He beamed out at them and spread his arms as if to embrace the very room they’d all decorated together. “I bid you, gentlemen, imagine it. If you find yourselves unconvinced by the thoughts of our peaceful joy come morning, by all means– help yourselves to the presents now.”

A beat went by as Ed and Eddy locked eyes. Double Dee was already sighing like a deflating balloon into one hand when they squealed out in glee and fell upon the gifts like beggars upon a fine meal. Eddy executed a neat dive into the pile while Ed snatched up the box he’d pretended to sleep on like it was a teddy bear. Double Dee watched over the hand he now had pressed over his mouth while they sniffed out the boxes with their names on them and tore in.

“Oh boy oh boy oh boy,” Ed chanted as strips of wrapping paper rained down around them like confetti. “Ohh, Double Dee, you shouldn’t have!” He flipped the lid off his chosen box and his smile fell at once, head cocking alarmingly as if to try to catch it. He turned the box upside-down and watched as nothing at all fell out. “Oh. You didn’t.”

“What gives?” Eddy demanded beside him as he scrounged around in his own box full of air. He wormed himself in head and shoulders before popping back up to glare over the side. Double Dee’s eyes were shining, shoulders shaking; his hand over his mouth was doing a poor job of covering his smile. “If you tell me that the real gifts are the friends we made along the way…”

Double Dee laughed outright at that. “Gifts though you both are,” he said, strutting his way over, smile becoming more of a smirk with every step, “no.” He looked down on them both from over his folded arms. “I anticipated your childish antics and planned accordingly. Oh, but they did brighten up the decor, didn’t they?” He tutted and tsked and made short work of scooping up the shredded wrapping paper into the empty boxes, turning back down the hall once he had all the debris in hand. Over his shoulder, he recited the Christmas morning rules that he’d convinced them that they’d agreed to somewhere along the way. “Breakfast at seven, gentlemen, and opening presents– the real presents– at seven-thirty. I look forward to seeing you both there.”


End file.
